Well that was some week! Even down here in West Penwith where the sea is no more than 10 miles away in any direction which usually means a good deal cooler than the rest of Cornwall, it reached the dizzying height of 25°C which is too hot for this fair-skinned English rose. Needless to say despite the nearness of the sea I stayed at home where I could linger in the relatively coolness of my home. Wednesday saw the return of high cloud and a breeze which was very welcome.
Some of the flowers didn’t like the heat, Dutch irises wilted quickly and my Clematis montana was suddenly bereft of flowers. But the hardy geraniums and Sweet Williams were happy. And I had a wonderful surprise when I went to the back of the garden.
The seedlings in my newly created Bee & Butterfly bed have flowered. All appear to be Nigella ‘Miss Jekyll’ the sky blue ones. They seem to have scattered themselves around the garden.It’s lovely to see life appear in the garden at last. Bees and butterflies have been enjoying the warmth and visiting my flowers. This is Camassia leichtlinii ‘Alba’Finally I have managed a clear shot of the Common Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) before it goes over.The only hostas I now grow are the mini ones. This is Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ which has tougher leaves. Still gets munched on so it is siting on a chair. I bought a couple of other minis last year, but they haven’t survived the wet winter well. I need to try and rescue them.Another first – a male orange tipped butterfly! I saw it flitting around the garden one evening, but it didn’t land. Then when I was sitting in the shade near the Sweet rocket and Nepeta it did.
And the surprise?
These three Ixia flowers. (African Corn Lily). My son Alex bought me summer bulbs back in 2021 among them Ixia, Freesia and Sparaxis. The Freesias were the only ones to really put on a display and I had no idea I still had any of these bulbs.
As always, if you want a peek over other people’s garden walls, then please pop over to Jim’s site where you find links to many more wonderful garden enthusiasts from all over the world.
